Almost 70 years since the day the HMT Empire Windrush arrived to the UK, a festival will be held to recognise the Windrush Generation in Crystal Palace.

Radiation Windrush Festival will hold its first event in Crystal Palace Park and will, according to organiser Wendy Cummins, “allow the chance to send a message that we are here, and we want to be recognised in a way that recognises us.”

The festival, which will celebrate black culture and afro arts, will take place over two days, on June 23 and 24, and is open to everybody of all ages to attend, Wendy added.

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Live music, dance troupes, seminars, workshops and a gallery of art will be on offer at is what hoped will be an annual event.

Wendy said the festival will be open to all ages (Image: Wendy Cummins)

The festival will mark the 70 anniversary of the Windrush arriving to the UK, in 1948, but the festival has also fell on a year where members of the Windrush Generation have faced huge struggle, with the recent scandal over Home Office's handling of their right to remain in the UK.

Wendy said it was “massively important” that the festival could take place this year.

The 37-year-old said: “It allows us to take a sense of ownership of our environment and where we’re from. When my parents came here, they came in a temporary mind set and they said they were going to go back.

“My mother has not gone back and I was born here – this is my identity. When I go back [to the Caribbean] my culture is different, I’ve got very British ways, but I’ve also got very Caribbean ways.”

She added: “The festival is so important in that it allows us to send the message that we are here and we do want to be recognised in a way that recognises us.”

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The festival has been able to happen through what Wendy called a “community effort”, a team of volunteers and donations.

Wendy said the festival will dig deep into the root of what black culture is in the UK and will have educational aspects to it, like workshops, seminars, storytelling and a gallery of images that celebrate black pride.

As well as this, there will be live performance stages, dance troupes, a host of food stalls from across the Caribbean and a peace wall for festival goers to leave messages.

Dance troupes, live music and food will be on offer at the festival (Image: Bantu Arts, Denise Campbell, Ya Na Media, Wanda Nation)

Tickets are free for the festival, though there is an option to leave a donation, and to receive a ticket you must first register for one on Eventbrite.